Floating pier.



PATENTED .TAN. 7, 1908.

C. E. GRANT.

FLOATING FIER.

APPLICATION PILED SEPT. s.. 1907.

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CHARLES E. GRAN'F, OF ALLENDALIC, UALIFORNIA.

FLOATING PIER.

No. &76,170.

Speeficaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan, 7, 1908.

Application filed September 13. 1907. Serial Ne. 392.759.

T 0 all whom 'it may concerns w citizen of the United States, residing at Allendale, in the county of Alameda and State ol' California, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Floating Piers, of which the follow ing is a specifieation.

My invention relates to floating piers and pier protectors.

The object of the present invention is to provide a floating pier or lloating pier-head, which may be attached to either the head of pile-piers, or brick or stone piers, or bulkheads, for the purpose of protecting vessels coming' alongside, or entering a slip, and which protective floating pier is adapted to rise and fall with the tide, so that it will always present itself most advantageously to the vessel to be protected.

The invention consists of the parts and the Construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the zwcompanying drawings, in whichi Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a plan View. F ig. 4 is a front elevation of one of the series of roller buffers, and F ig. 5 is an underside plan View of the same.

A represents a pier or wharf structure to which my invention is applicable.

The invention consists of a buoyant structure B, of suitable size, shape and material, its shape here being shown in the form of a U because it is to be applied as a protective pier-head. Manifestly, it could be made in straight sections, as where it is to protect a length of wharf or sea-wall.

Preferably it is made of heavy metal plates suitably stayed and braced on the inside and rendered water-tight. It must be made very strong, so as to wthstand the strains and knocks to which it is liable when a ship or vessel comes alongside. Where it is used as a protective pier-head it is suitably set into the wharf, as shown in Fig. 1, so that its outer surface will be substantially flush with the continuation of the wharf. .It is suitably connected to the wharf, as by the roller hangers 2, carried by the structure B, running on the fixed vertical guide rods 3 on the wharf. i

'I he structure is also provided on its iuner surface with anti-friction rollers 4, traveling in the up and down movements of the lloat B Be t known that I, CHARLES E. (mN'r,

on suitable metal tratl s 5 on the wharf.

The outside sui-hice of the lloat B presents a series of 'ertical, vieldingly-supportwl roller bull'ers (i. l`hesc rollers are preferably. mounted in groups of three with their lower ends extending to the water level, and they are of such length as to receive the impact of any vessel coming along the side and sheer it oil', so as to protect the structure B and the wharf, as well as the vessel, from any severe shock: As here shown, the lower ends of the rollers 6 are stopped in blocks 7, which slide in suitable guides iu brackets 8 on the buoy B. Spriugs 0 tend normally to press the blocks 7 and rollers outward.

The upper ends of the rollers may be supported in the cross-head 10 which is alixed part of a beam 11, which latter is suitably mounted for horizontal iuward and outward movement in roller-hearing guides 12-13 on the lloat B. Suitable means are provided to limit, the outward movement of the beams 11, and the beams are yieldingly supported by suitable means, as the spring-s 14, to permit the beams to have a limited inward vielding ;movement whenever a heavy 'force encouuters the rollers. Thus it will be seen that the spring-s 14- and the springs 9 below all'o'rd a yielding support :for the respective ends of the rollers, and enable the upper ends of any cluster of rollers to move in unison, and the lower end of each individual roller to have a limited inward movement .independent of every other roller.

When a vessel, as shown at 15, is to enter a dock supplied with the present inventiou, and should strike a glancing blow against the pier-head, as 'frequently occurs, the blow will be absorbed by the several springs 14 and 9, and the roller bufl'ers 6 will operate to sheer the vessel off in her proper course without doing any damage to herself or to the structure.

'Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A [loating pier consisting of a buoyant structure, a suitable support with means 'for connecting the pier to the support to allow the pier to rise and fall, and roller bull'ers carried by the pier.

2. A lloating 'pier consisting of a buoyant structure, a suitable support with means 'for connecting the pier to the support to allow the pier to rise and fall, and roller bufiers carried by the pier, said roller bufi'ers being yielclingly supported at one end.

3. A floating pier consistng of a buoyant structure, a suitable support with means for connectng the pier to the support to allow the pier to rise and fall, roller uffers carried by the pier," and means for yieldingly supporting` said buffers at both ends.

4. A fioating pier consisting of a buoyant structure, a suitable support with means for connecting the pier to the support to allow the pier to rise and fall, roller buffers carried by the pier, and means for yieldingly supporting the upper ends of said buffers in clusters, and for yielclingly supporting the lower ends of said rollers.

5. A fioating pier consisting of a buoyant structure, a suitable support with means for connecting the pier to the support to allow the pier to rise and fall, roller uflers earried and means for yieldingly supporting the upper ends of said bufi'ers in clusters, and for yieldngly supporting the lower ends of said rollers, said means for supporting the upper ends of said rollers including a cross-head in which a cluster of rollers is pivoted, and a transversely movable beam member connected to the crosshead and slidable in guides in said buoyant structure.

In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. GRANT.

by the pier,

Witnesses:

C. A. PENFIELD, L. H. NoURsE. o 

